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Valve Linux-Based SteamBox Details Coming Next Week

09-16-2013, 03:20 PM

Phoronix: Valve Linux-Based SteamBox Details Coming Next Week

For those that didn't yet watch Gabe Newell's talk about Linux gaming, at the end of the presentation he notes next week will be more information from Valve about their plans to bring Linux into the living room...

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This is kind of bad timing to be announcing such a device. Unless they will magically undercut two other companies taking a loss on game consoles and simultaneously announce a number of Steambox exclusive titles, this is likely to fair somewhere between the Ouja (complete flop) and the Wii U (damn close to a complete flop). Timing is key, especially in gaming. Waiting a year or releasing a year earlier would have made way more sense.

Comment

This is kind of bad timing to be announcing such a device. Unless they will magically undercut two other companies taking a loss on game consoles and simultaneously announce a number of Steambox exclusive titles, this is likely to fair somewhere between the Ouja (complete flop) and the Wii U (damn close to a complete flop). Timing is key, especially in gaming. Waiting a year or releasing a year earlier would have made way more sense.

Yes, if they're after the same audience. To me it seems like they're trying to appeal to PC-Gamers rather than PS/Xbox-Gamers (or maybe both).

Still, releasing more information is something different than actually releasing the hardware

Comment

This is kind of bad timing to be announcing such a device. Unless they will magically undercut two other companies taking a loss on game consoles and simultaneously announce a number of Steambox exclusive titles, this is likely to fair somewhere between the Ouja (complete flop) and the Wii U (damn close to a complete flop). Timing is key, especially in gaming. Waiting a year or releasing a year earlier would have made way more sense.

Ouya a flop? Ouya devs are fucked. Wii U a flop? Nintendo gets in a lot of trouble.

SteamBox a flop? No problem at all. Let's make it better over the next few years and release new models while Gamers will keep using Steam on their PCs. They don't need instant success for this, they don't depend on the hardware for now. It's a first step for what Valve believes is the future.

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Considering Xbox One and PlayStation 4 will have x86 and 8-core CPU, the Steambox must match that.

I believe the Steambox will be very similar. x86, 8-core by AMD.

I was expecting Kaveri (quad-core Steamroller, but at around 3.5GHz), with a discrete GPU (the APU's GPU being available for physics, 3D audio, etc, still). Possibly coming with 4GB DDR3 (DIMM slot) and 4GB GDDR5. I don't think Steambox is at the stage to demand custom silicon.

But this would mean the Steambox would cost more than than either next gen console due to lower integration.

I don't know if the box would be a generic Linux box (expandable) that also had Steam, or if it would be console-ised.